Adjustable automobile screen



July 14, 1942. A. VENDITT I ADJUSTABLE AUTOMOBILE SCREEN Filed July 28,I941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 14, 1942. A. VENDlTTl I ADJUSTABLE AUTOMOBILESCREEN Filed July 28, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 g Z A MM M w W I PatentedJuly 14, 19 42 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 9 Claims.

My present invention relates to and provides an improved quicklyadjustable window screen especially adapted for use in connection withautomobile windows; and, generally stated, consists of the noveldevices, combinations of devices, and arrangement of parts hereinafterdescribed and defined in the claims.

The present invention is in the nature of an improvement on ormodification of the improved screen disclosed and claimed in my priorUnited States Patent No. 2,240,588 of May 6, 1941.

In the present improved screen mechanism the screen .proper is made upof hingedly connected sections, one of which has a slot or passagethrough which may be passed the angularly adjustable deflecting pane orsection of the window structure. The objects of the present inventionmay be briefly summarized as follows: to provide a screen that when notin use will be entirely out of the way and out of the line of vision ofthe driver; to provide a supporting mechanism for the screen by means ofwhich the screen may be quickly and accurately positioned in a windowopening; to provide a screen structure that may be folded into smallspace and then moved into an inoperative position; and to providecertain details of construction which make the above noted objects easyto accomplish and the operations easy to perform.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred form of theinvention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the severalviews.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective showing the interior of an automobilebody and illustrating the preferred manner of applying the improved de-Vice so that the screen can be readily moved to and from operativepositions, some parts being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 22 of Fig.

Fig. 3 is a detail view in perspective showing a hinge structure thatconnects sections of the screen proper;

Fig. 4 is a detail in section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a View corresponding to Fig. 4 but illustrating differentpositions of the parts;

Fig. 6 is a detail in section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section taken on the line l'l of Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 is a view corresponding to Fig. 6 but with certain parts removed;

Fig. 9 is a view corresponding somewhat to Fig. 5, but showing thescreen supporting mechanism slid to a different position than that shownin the other views;

Fig. 10 is a view in elevation showing the sections of the screenmechanism folded in a cornpact form;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary section taken on the line Illl of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a view corresponding in lines of section with Fig. 11, butshowing the screen sections opened or turned into operative condition;and

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary section taken on the line l3l3 of Fig. 12. 7

Of the p'arts of the automobile, it is only desirable for the purpose ofthis case, to particularly note the enclosed body I4 and one of thefront doors l5, which latter is adapted to be opened and closed by avertically movable slid able pane l8 and a hinged angularly adjustablesupplemental transparent pane or deflector ii.

The multi section screen is made up of an intermediate screen sectionl8, a rear section l 9, and a forwardly tapered front section 29, andwhich screen sections are provided with metallic frames l8, J9 and 20.When these three sections are turned into a common plane, they areadapted to fit closely within or against the respective window framesand will close the same against the passage of insects and thedeflecting blade I! will then be projected through a framed passage 2|located in the screen section 20 and secured to the frame 20, as bestshown in Fig. 1 but also partially shown in Fig. 2. As an over headsupport for the screen structure, I provide a substantially horizontallydisposed supporting bar 22 that is preferably made channel-shaped- Thischannel-shaped arm, at one end, is pivoted, riveted, or otherwiserigidly secured by means of an anchoring bracket 23 and rivets or bolts24 to the overhead front portion of the interior portion of theautomobile body M. The arm 22 is thus positioned immediately over thefront door opening. The channel of the outer end of the arm 22 is closedand its flanges, near its closed end, are provided with lock notches 25and 26,'see particularly Fig. 8.

A supporting head 21, as shown in the form of a disc, is mounted toslide in the channel bar or arm 22 and this head is provided with aprojecting web 28 provided in its lower edge with a lock notch 29. Abifurcated or two-plate arm 39 embraces and is pivoted to the upperportion of the flange 28 at 3|. To the free end of the arm 30 an angularbracket 32 is rigidly secured, see particularly Figs. 4, 5 and 9, andthis bracket 32 is rigidly secured to the intermediate portion of thecentrally located screen frame 18'. As best shown in detail in Fig. 3, Ishow a hinge connection that is applied between the frame sections l8and I9 and is also used as a hinge connection between the frame sectionsI8 and 20. The hinge connection is made by pivotally connected offsetears 33 and the adjacent frame bars are provided, the one with a lockflange 34, and the other with a lock flange 35. The lock flange 34 has aperforation 36 and the flange 35 is provided with two perforations orholes 31 and 38 that are diametrically spaced.

The numeral 39, see particularly Figs. 1, 9, 10, ll, 12 and 13, is anopen rectangular lock frame that has approximately the same outline asthe frame [8. This frame is rigidly secured to a lock plunger 40 thatworks between the plates of the arm 30. The inner end of plunger 49, bya rivet or pivot pin 4|, see Fig. 7, is arranged to slide in slots 42,see Fig. 5, in the sides of the plates of arm 30. The sides of the frame39 are provided with L-shaped hooks 43, see particularly Fig. 13, thatare engageable through the aligned perforations of the lock flanges 34and 35.

The numeral 44 indicates a bifurcated lock lever, the side plates ofwhich are pivoted on the ends of the rivet or pivot pin 4|. The sideplates of the lock lever 44 are rounded and act as cams against flanges45 and pins 45 on the sides of arm 30, as will appear in the descriptionof the operation. Lock lever 44 has a projecting end 44 that is adaptedto be engaged and held in locking position by a lock hook 41 carried bythe lock frame 39. On frame 39 is an additional lock finger 48 that isadapted to enter a perforation 49 in the flange of bracket 32 which isrigidly secured to flange 45.

As shown in Figs. 11 and 12, the abutting edges of the screen frames l8,I9 and 29' are provided with stop flanges or lugs 53 that limit theopening or spreading movements of the screen sections to positions inwhich they will be in a common plane.

Rigidly secured on the anchored or inner end v 5| has a lock notch 52with which, under certain adjustments, the end of lock plunger 49 willengage to hold the screen structure raised and in an inoperativeposition, as shown by full lines in Fig. 9 and by dotted lines inFig. 1. A stop lug 53 on the anchored end of arm 22 limits the movementof the head 21 to a position in which the plunger 40 will be aligned forengagement with the notch 52 of arm 5|.

Figs. 1 and 2 show the screen projected in position for use. To look thescreen structure thus positioned, the head 21 is moved outward to theposition shown in Fig. 6 and then the head, which carries flange 2B, ispressed upwardly in the channel of arm 22 so as to cause flange 28 toengage notch 26, and then arm 33 is turned downward to the positionshown in Fig. 4, thereby causing a lug-like flange 33' of said arm toengage in the notch 25, thereby locking the screen supporting elementsagainst rotation and against sidewise movement.

Next, by raising lock frame 39, the screen sections l9 and 20 arereleased so that they may be turned into a common plane and into properengagement with the window frame. Then to lock the screen sections thusspread and properly positioned, the lock frame 39 is pressed upwardly,thereby accomplishing two things, to wit: first, the lock fingers 43will be engaged with the overlapping and perforated lock flanges of theseveral screen sections and thereby lock the screen sections againstfolding movement and pressed against their stop lugs 59. The saidmovement of the frame 39, however, is not accomplished by direct actionbut by movement of lock lever 44 which operates as follows: when movedto the position shown in Fig. 5, said lever operates on pins 46 to forcethe lock frame 39 to releasing position shown in Fig. 5, but when locklever 44 is moved in the opposite direction, to wit: a clockwisedirection in respect to Fig. 5, the cam surface will act on flange 45 asa base of reaction and will move frame 39 to the position shown in Fig.4, which moves plunger 40 into engagement with the then aligned locknotch 29 of flange 28, and causes hook-like lock fingers or lugs 43 tobe engaged with the aligned holes of flanges 34 and 35.

From the foregoing, it is evident that by movements of the lock frame39, the screen sections may be locked in a common plane or may be lockedin folding position.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the kind described, a supporting bar anchored at oneend, a head slidable on said bar, a framed screen hingedly supportedfrom said head, and means operative to lock the frame to said head andsaid head to the extended end of said bar.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 in which there is also means forlocking the framed screen in an inoperative position at the anchored endof said bar.

3. The structure defined in claim 1 in which the framed screen is madeup of a multiplicity of hingedly connected sections.

4. A structure of the kind described made up of a multiplicity ofhingedly connected framed screen sections, one of which is substantiallytriangular and has an elongated passage through which thecorrespondingly formed deflector pane of an automobile window may beextended.

5. A structure of the kind described made up of a multiplicity ofhingedly connected screenequipped frame sections having overlappingperforated lock flanges, and a rectangular lock frame correspondingsubstantially in outline to one of the screen sections and having lockhooks projectable through the perforations of said lock flanges, as andfor the purpose described.

6. The structure defined in claim 5 in further combination with asupporting bar, and a head slidable on said bar and attached to theintermediate of said hingedly connected screen sections.

7. In a device of the kind described, a channelshaped supporting bar inthe flanges of which at an end thereof an upper and a lower notch areprovided, a head slidable in the channel of said bar and having aprojecting web formed with a notch m its lower edge, a bifurcatedsupporting arm pivotally attached by one end to the upper portion ofsaid web and having a projecting portion engageable with the lower notchof said supporting bar to hold said web engaged with said upper notch, alock plunger slidably mounted on said arm and engageable with the notchin the lower edge of said web to lock said arm in the position justindicated, and a screen attached to the other end of said arm.

8. The structure defined in claim 7 in which said screen is made up of amultiplicity of hingconnection to said lock plunger, said lock frame, bya sliding movement, operative to lock said screen sections extended in acommon plane, and a cam-acting lever pivotally connected to said plungerand having a cam action on said arm operative to move said plunger andlock frame to and from operative positions.

ALBERT VENDITTI.

